<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Limbo by Tempestys</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26754772">Limbo</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tempestys/pseuds/Tempestys'>Tempestys</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dr. STONE (Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Additional Warnings Apply, Alternate Universe - Angels &amp; Demons, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Angst at some point, Demons, Developing Relationship, Dialogue Heavy, Divinity, Dystopia, Dystopian society, Factions, Fallen Angels, Gods, Heaven, Hell, I have no idea how to tag, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, StanXeno, Stanley Snyder/ Dr. Xeno - Freeform, Threats of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:41:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,437</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26754772</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tempestys/pseuds/Tempestys</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Stanley hated to admit it but he was really starting to like this guy. Their ideals seemed to have matched each other’s. They could rule this world together, create hell together.</p><p>“I stand by my statement before, Xeno. I will make your dreams a reality. You just have to trust me.”</p><p>Xeno slowly exhaled before reaching his hand out. “Alright. Allies, I suppose.” It was so unlike him to be so trusting, but again… something about this otherworldly being was absolutely compelling, fascinating. So… </p><p>...Elegant.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stanley Snyder &amp; Dr. Xeno, Stanley Snyder/Dr. Xeno</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Limbo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>And so, he fell… and fell and fell. It felt like an eternity despite existing for millennia. He had clipped his own wings for disobeying their leader. As Stanley fell, he could only think of the argument he had with the council and their god.</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We must not get involved with the affairs of humans!” the hooded angel seethed, slamming their fist on the table.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The state of the earth is the worst we have ever seen. We have to do something!” Stanley gritted his teeth, his dull blue eyes burning into the hooded figure across him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What makes this circumstance so different? Have they not pillaged and waged wars worse than this?” the leader snorted.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“They are your creation. Why are you acting like you don’t care? What is your plan this time, you manipulating bastard?” Stanley condescendingly challenged, standing his ground, chuckling.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The round table fell silent. No one had ever challenged their leader in all these millennia.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Their leader slowly exhaled and stood, flitting onto the table. He strode across it, calmly approaching Stanley. A menacing glow radiated from the towering hooded figure while he stalked across the lengthy slab. The man leaned down and grabbed the angel’s face, forcing him out of his chair and lifting Stanley above him, “You will obey me or your wings will be clipped.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span> Stanley grabbed the man’s wrist, wiggling to loosen the grip on his face. Swiftly he kicked their leader’s stomach, the man flying across the room and hitting the wall. The wall’s concrete crunching and crumbling against the impact; pieces tumbling to the floor around the figure. The hood fell from the unnamed man’s head, revealing flowing brown hair and gleaming brown eyes - eyes that were so soulful and deep, persistently full of mystery and wisdom, kindness… but now filled with rage. A furious sneer erupted across his face, readying himself into a fighting stance. The god unsheathed his sword, expecting Stanley to come after him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Stanley closed his eyes and chuckled to himself, “Then I will no longer stand as your brother, Tsukasa,” He extended his wings and reached behind him, grabbing where his wings and back met, and pulled. Tears streamed down his face as he ripped his own wings from his body, the sound of skin tearing filling the otherwise silent room.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The council gasped, rupturing murmurs echoing throughout the grand hall.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sacrilege!” Tsukasa spat, a hostile and disapproving sneer pulling at the corners of his full lips.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Divine light emanated at Stanley’s scapula, where his wings once were, covering the grand hall with blinding white light. The other angels shielded their eyes from the luminance.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>   Breathing heavily and crying out, Stanley fell to his knees as light and blood poured from the wounds, the crimson liquid dripping onto the marble granite. With a thud, the feathered wings dropped to the floor and slowly dissipated, turning completely into ash.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tsukasa pointed his sword toward the granite floor, tracing a circle toward the marble and opening up a pit. Sparks expelled from the cavity, flickering across the ground as they flew out. Rapidly, the hooded figure gripped the angel’s forearm and flung him below. Stanley did not fight, sending one last strained smirk Tsukasa’s way as he plunged down.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>As he plummeted, his hand reached out toward the sky. He wouldn’t miss that place. To him, it was too strenuous and stric; too many self-righteous people. Stanley’s divine brothers and sisters always thought of the humans as nothing more than mere ants, things that were disposable, creatures to be experimented on - something he could no longer bring himself to ignore. However, the well-being of the human being was now in the back of his mind. At the forefront of his thoughts, was the fact that he could finally obtain the freedom he ever so craved... to no longer be a puppet at the clutches of their god.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After what felt like an eternity, Stanley hit the ground, a thud reverberating through the woodland he fell into and the wind getting knocked out of him. Bringing himself to his feet, he composed himself, and surveyed his surroundings. His dull blue eyes darted from tree to tree, peering through the shadows. A sea of trees and foliage lay before him, trees so tall they seemed to have pierced the sky like arrows; the moon shining brightly through the lattice of the leaves</span>
  <span>. </span>
  <span>Barely visible black trails snaked their way through the undergrowth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Noticeable almost instantly, there seemed to have been no signs of life in the woods he fell to. The woodland was ominously quiet. The silence was eerie, yet… it felt so loud.  The leaves didn’t rustle, no owls hooting, no signs of life anywhere. Just nothing. Dead air. It was quite… troubling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley sighed and leaned against the nearest tree, propping himself up by one leg. Even with the light of the moon peeking through the trees, the blackness of the woods could not be seen through using the human eye. But Stanley could see through it perfectly. That’s when he came to the realization- he could still </span>
  <em>
    <span>see</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He still had his divine powers despite being a Fallen now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Curious of what he still had, he eyed the closest tree and swiped at it. He cut through it with perfected ease and watched as it plummeted to the ground, the weight of the tree booming as it met the soil below and reverberating throughout the woodland.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hm, so I still have my strength,” Stanley murmured to himself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He didn’t want to draw too much attention to the woods so he stopped there. He had a general idea of what the world was like down below the Heavens, but still did not know all that he could.  Drawing attention to himself is the worst that could happen to him at this moment and it’d interrupt his plans.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Stanley began to move, he heard movement in the distance.The woodland stood near lifeless, so hearing rustling put him on high alert. “Tch. Should’ve known that it would’ve drawn some attention,” Stanley chastised himself, running his fingers through his tresses. “How annoying.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In one fell swoop, he propelled himself into the closest tree and hid in the entangled branches. He would have no trouble killing anyone that dared cross him, but that would bring unwanted attention. Besides. If someone indeed did try, wouldn’t it be smarter to take them out </span>
  <em>
    <span>after</span>
  </em>
  <span> getting any information he so desired?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small light emitted from the distance, taking Stanley out of his thoughts. The flickering light casted shadows amongst the foliage. A silhouette of a tall man with light blonde, slicked back hair walked by with complete precision, a small satchel in tow. His image looked insalubrious and his clothing was completely tattered. Upon closer inspection, the grotty man was completely covered with dross.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The light without a doubt fell here,” the unknown man muttered curiously to himself. “This definitely was not a typical occurrence - ” the man took in his surroundings. “I must find out more…” </span>
</p><p><span>“</span><em><span>Oh? How did he know?</span></em><span>” Stanley thought with a furrowed brow.</span> <span>A smirk appeared on his lips; He was intrigued by this stranger. His gut was telling him to go meet this man, but he thought it would be best to hold off for now and continue watching their actions. The blonde knelt down and opened his bag, taking out makeshift tubes and brushes. He put on gloves and began scooping up the dirt near Stanley’s landing spot. How did he know the exact -</span></p><p>
  <span>As if reading his mind the strange man mumbled, “There’s crystalline pieces in this dirt. Quite uncharacteristic of this area,” he observed, raising an eyebrow and stroking his chin. Stanley’s eyes widened; No human should be able to see that. Just who was this man?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>How… How HOW can he tell…? Where did he come from? Is he alone? Does he work with anyone else that might know about this? </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>Just who is he?</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>” </span>
  </em>
  <span>A disturbing chill ran down his spine. Stanley shifted his weight on the branch and continued watching. The man wrote something down and kept walking. Stanley sighed quietly and stalked him through the trees as inaudible as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Normally this type of behavior would not affect him in the slightest. But this was different. No </span>
  <b>normal </b>
  <span>human should, no, </span>
  <b>can</b>
  <span> see the divine crystals. So the fact that this man not only acknowledged their presence, but also took a sample of them -</span>
  <em>
    <span> “Not good, too sloppy...” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Stanley cursed to himself. The divine crystals could not fall into the hands of humans. If they think there are problems now…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Too deep in thought, Stanley did not notice that the stranger had stopped moving and was glancing around him. His breath hitched as he heard the man sigh and rub the back of his neck. “Took you long enough.” The stranger announced. Stanley did not move nor make a sound as he peered down in awe. The stranger closed his eyes and smirked. “Look, if you’re going to take me or kill me, get it over with. There is no logic in wasting time and hiding.” He looked in Stan’s direction. The man put his hands up as if to surrender. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Who are you…?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley sighed and leaped down from the tree. He towered over the man, staring into his eyes menacingly. He expected the stranger to cower and beg for his life, but saw no such emotions. Rather, enervation and hindrance. His eyes were that of obsidian. Dark, impenetrable. It was as though Stanley was staring into a void. The man’s onyx eyes were almost lifeless, but also a hint of ambition behind the façade of said lifelessness. The dark circles below his eyes as badges of exhaustion. It was as though the man never slept with how deep and black the orbs were. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your name.” Stanley asked calmly with a slight hint of hostility.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should know that already. You’re a bounty hunter, are you not?” the unknown man questioned, crossing his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That is not what I asked.” he demanded, his voice’s vibrations rumbling in his throat. Stanley hated to admit it but, he was already amused by this man. He clearly was putting on a brave face, but Stanley could see past it with ease. The unidentified man snickered and brought his arms up, accepting defeat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Does it matter? It seems as though I am a dead man walking anyways. I figured this would happen if I came out here to investigate that light. I knew the risks, so do it.” Stanley tilted his head and raised his eyebrows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not going to kill you. I don’t have any reason to. So I ask again, who </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> you?” Stanley was surprised to see that the realization of </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> being killed terrified the stranger more than anything.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name is Xeno. And may I ask who you might be?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Edgy.” Stanley grinned. More confusion spread onto Xeno’s face as he tried to contemplate what the fuck Edgy meant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“E-excuse me?” He asked. A hysterical laugh erupted from Stanley as he walked closer towards him.</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span> “Nice to meetcha but onto more pressing matters,” Within mere seconds his sultry expression turned dark. He leant into Xeno’s face, feeling his breath on his lips. “Tell me how you saw those crystals. No mere human would be able see those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno looked side to side before back into Stanley's eyes.</span>
  <em>
    <span>“Mere… human?” </span>
  </em>
  <span>The silence grew between the two, but their eye contact never broke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t ask again.” Stanley ordered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just </span>
  <em>
    <span>saw </span>
  </em>
  <span>them.” Xeno finally broke eye contact as he felt intimidation crawl up his back. This was quite an unfamiliar feeling to Xeno - and he did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>like it. The blue eyed towering man commanded a presence from him that no one else ever had. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmph. I guess I shouldn’t expect you to know something you’re supposed to be ignorant about…The name’s Stanley.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno stepped away and gave Stanley a once over. He was devilishly handsome. Quite elegant, in fact. Everything about the man was so ethereal. The way he spoke, the way he walked, even the way he intimidated. And god his eyes. He felt himself looking away as if he kept staring, he felt as though he would get lost in them. It was quite terrifying actually. Even the clothes he donned… dark jeans, a white form fitting dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, was otherworldly. Nothing in this world or any dimension for that matter could compare to the man that stood before Xeno.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Without warning a flame emitted from Stanley’s pointer finger and snatched the satchel away from him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You won’t be needing this.” he said, setting the satchel aflame. “This material cannot be in human hands.” Xeno’s eyes widened when he saw his satchel burn in horror.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?!” he yelled and fell to his knees in bewilderment. A piece of his blonde hair fell onto his temple as he watched everything he worked for turn to ashes. The flames danced amongst the woodlands, casting shadows along the evergreen and aging branches; ironically bringing brief life to the otherwise dying place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley ignored Xeno’s groveling and watched the satchel burn to ashes, undisturbed. After it completely disintegrated, Stanley knelt down at the defeated Xeno and stared at him with a questioning look. “You seem smarter than the average human; I’m sure you have a backup somewhere.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno looked up in disgust. “I do, but it’s just one. There is only so much I can do with how society is at the moment.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley stood up and stepped away from Xeno. “I am well aware of what this society is like. It’s why I’m here.” He responded with his back turned to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is it that you know so much of this ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>society</span>
  </em>
  <span>’ even though you are clearly not from around here?” Xeno questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley shot Xeno a menacing look before walking off. “We are no longer having this discussion. Take me to your home.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno stared in disbelief as the man walked away from him. Who is he? Where did he come from? Who did he think he was talking to him this way? He had a million questions, but something was making him not want to not indulge in his curiosity for once. He’ll get his answers soon enough, with time. He was sure of it. After all, Stanley seemed like the type not to give him what he wanted if he continuously pestered him. Xeno sighed and pushed his hair back. “As if it could even be considered that.” Stanley stopped and allowed for Xeno to catch up. “Follow me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley chuckled out of amusement at this dramatic man. “Lead the way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The beginning of the journey to Xeno’s home was met with eerie silence. Stanley surveyed the dissipating woodlands hoping to find vivid life the closer they got, but it was to no avail. It was surprising to see anything extant in the first place, in the otherwise vanishing woods, but they also seemed to be at death’s door. It seemed futile at this point to hold hope. Once they got closer to their destination, Xeno stepped in front of Stanley. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley scowled at him. “What is it?” He asked, slightly irritated at the brief stop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We must separate so as not to draw more attention to ourselves.” Xeno warned silently. “Just come find me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s annoying… but fine.” Stanley obliged, rolling his eyes. He knelt down and rubbed dirt on his face; he knew this was the only way he would fit in with this crowd. He saw the way Xeno looked so it was only obvious to him. He ran his fingers through his hair and ruffled through it, trying to make it look as disheveled as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well? Do I look the part?” Stanley asked, whirling in front of Xeno and curtseying at the end.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno shook his head disapprovingly, “As good as you can be, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They glanced at each other once more before parting ways. He couldn’t put his finger on it quite yet, but something about the strange man made Stanley want to have him as an ally. He didn’t even question him about emitting fire from his finger (honestly probably because he was more so concerned and pissed about his satchel burning to ashes). He also did not tuck his tail between his legs and run when he realized his stature. Granted he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> say something about a bounty hunter… but even so there was still no fear in Xeno’s eyes. If anything curiosity seemed to burn in the man's eyes. He seemed to have something else in mind, and this greatly intrigued Stanley. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of staying a few steps behind Xeno, Stanley decided to get to know his surroundings better. He attempted to stay in the shadows but it came to no avail. He got stares from the residents every step he took. Standing out was not out of the ordinary in the slightest to Stanley, but all the out of place glares he was getting was really pissing him off  - especially since it seems he dirtied himself up for no reason.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After getting away from the crowd, Stanley took a good look around him. It was so much worse than they thought. Buildings were deteriorating. The citizens were malnourished and at the brink of death. A decomposing smell wafted around and singed his nose. The only source of warmth and luminescence came from the trash piles that riddled the decaying streets. What were the citizens eating? Did they even have water? The buildings were borderline debris at this point so where did they live? How were they surviving with the basic need of human necessities? None of this made sense to Stanley. He looked up and a small gasp escaped his lips in disbelief. There seemed to be cameras, on every corner he came across. Stanley did not dare stare into their lenses. He had to be as discreet as possible, afterall. It was bad enough that he already looked out of place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“New to the area?” a guttural voice from behind questioned. Stanley turned around to see a short bald elder with a long beard. His eyes were barely visible under the wrinkles. Just like many of the residents here, he was covered in dirt and grime, and his clothes were ripped and disheveled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley crossed his arms and looked down. “Yeah. What’s it to ya?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing at all, stranger. You just looked lost,” the old man shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am. You wanna answer a question for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Depends. What’s in it for me?” the old man inquired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“ Hm. A deal you say,” A smile creeped onto his lips, unknowingly.  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>My specialty.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Stanley hated to admit that he was entertained by this man. “Let’s see… How about getting you out of this place?” He motioned his arms toward the terrain before him and the elder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Haha! A jokester, are ya? Tch, I can’t keep up with you kids nowadays,” the old man jested. “I will say that you’re quite a charming young man. So what is the question? I will only answer one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is this place?” Stanley asked, getting straight to the point. No need to drag this on. “My memory is hazy.” he added, to soften any suspicion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah. Well, this place is called Limbo. You’re sent here when you don’t belong to any sort of faction. You merely have to exist here.” The old man said. He sighed before continuing. “They love to give you hope by telling you there are ways to get out… but there isn’t. I’ve been here since the age of 21- which is when you are supposed to be selected for a faction. Well i’m pretty sure it doesn’t take a genius to see that I have been here for a long time. There’s no hope of getting out of here, despite what they keep telling us.” he shook his head. “I’ve seen many people die…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm. Alright,” He wanted to ask </span>
  <em>
    <span>just who</span>
  </em>
  <span> was giving these poor people hope, but thought it best to get it from Xeno, when he meets up with him again. “What is your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kaseki.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A pleasure, really. Thank you for answering my question, Kaseki,” Stanley placed his hands in his pockets and walked away without looking back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Factions, huh? What a society. Humans really </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>are</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span> a failed experiment. No wonder my brother gave up on them...” </span>
  </em>
  <span>Stanley thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Deep in contemplation, he soon found himself in front of Xeno without incident. They locked eyes with one another.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno snickered. “Great job on finding me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It wasn’t too hard. This place is a dump.” He responded as he got closer to the man. “That being said, I have many questions for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I investigated this place. There’s no shelter. Everyone looks like they're on their deathbeds. No signs of food or water. It’s a wasteland here aside from the out of place cameras. And what is up with them?” He looked around before returning his glance to Xeno. “I also ran into this old man and he mentioned this place was called Limbo. Something about factions too. Just what the hell is going on?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno closed his eyes and sighed, “How could you not know? You were sent here after all, were you not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley fell silent.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The silent treatment, huh?” Xeno smiled and crossed his arms. “Alright, I’ll indulge you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Realizing he was still standing, Stanley sat down next to Xeno, resting his arms on his knees. He motioned his hands toward Xeno, to show that he was listening.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This world is what you call… a dystopian society if you will. We are all separated into factions as you have been made aware. The one that we stand in and I reside in is called Limbo. This is a fate that can easily be considered worse than death. There is no food or water here. No shelter. No plumbing. They tell us there’s hope of getting out, but it’s impossible. It is against their rules to… do anything, to put it simply. No creativity, no science, no love… Nothing. You have to die of natural causes. We-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This got Stanley’s attention. “Natural causes? If there’s no food or water, people would last only a couple weeks. The hell?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let me finish. We are unable to commit suicide. If you are caught attempting to do so, you will be revived and tortured.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is that possible?” Stanley interrupted again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“...They are able to revive through a technology I developed at the age of ten called nanomachines. When they discovered what I made, they took full advantage of my youth and creation and sent me here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But why would they -”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They felt as though I was too powerful and would become a serious threat down the line. They feared my mass amount of knowledge and casted me out. I was not even the chance to be chosen by a faction.” Xeno looked away and sneered hatefully, a dark shadow casting over his eyes. He did not seem to be lying, and if what he said was indeed true, he would be someone that Stanley definitely needed on his side rather than the other way around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I like your style, Xeno. We should be allies,” Stanley proposed, motioning a hand toward the blonde. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Allies? Please. How can I trust you?” Xeno narrowed his eyes. He was suspicious of Stanley. This was just some stranger he met in the decaying woods. However, seeing how easy it was to tell him about his reasoning for being stuck in this hell, he felt drawn to him. The most illogical part of him was screaming to ally with Stanley… and it was scaring him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You got a taste of what I can do when I burned your purse. Imagine what else I could do.” He got closer to him. “Now wouldn’t you want me on your side versus against it?” He said right about a whisper in his ear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno looked away from Stanley and pondered the thought of being allies. Stanley made a good point. What Stanley did was beyond the ordinary. Not only that, he would be without a doubt a dangerous threat if he was on the opposing side. Who was Stanley. Where did he come from. Why and how could he do what he did. There must have been some logical explanation for it. He had to know more. This alliance could also give Xeno the opportunity and missing link he needed to change this world and bring his ideals to life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley leaned over and got intimately close to the blonde, locking eyes with Xeno’s, “Tell me. What is it you truly desire?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno felt suddenly drawn to this ethereal being, “I…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come on. You can tell me,” Stanley smiled, not breaking eye contact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno raised his eyebrows, shaking off the draw he felt towards the man, “Why do you feel the need to get so close to me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley’s mouth fell agape. “What did you just say?” He leaned away from Xeno and propped himself with his arms behind him. He couldn’t understand why his glamour wasn’t working on this man. This was never a problem he had before. Were his powers waning? What was </span>
  <em>
    <span>happening to him</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Instead of trying to seduce me, you could simply just ask.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stanley looked away, feeling slightly embarrassed, a barely visible pink tone stained his cheeks, “Tch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My desires… hmm.” Xeno looked up into the blackened sky. “I want to destroy this world and create a new one. A utopia that I rule. But… I am unable to do so because of my situation. Or rather, it is taking a lot longer than I want it to because of this.” he motioned to their surroundings. The fire in the garbage can next to them dwindled, giving Xeno a more sinister look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> Stanley hated to admit it but he was really starting to like this guy. Their ideals seemed to have matched each other’s. They could rule this world together, create hell together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I stand by my statement before, Xeno. I will make your dreams a reality. You just have to trust me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Xeno slowly exhaled before reaching his hand out. “Alright. Allies, I suppose.” It was so unlike him to be so trusting, but again… something about this otherworldly being was absolutely compelling, fascinating. So… </span>
  <em>
    <span>elegant</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! I rated this as explicit because there is going to explicit content in later chapters. This is my first fic, so I'm open to any comments and constructive criticism! This is also going to be multi-chaptered and I'll try to post as much as I can. I do work 40+ hours a week along with other hobbies so I am quite the busy person. Hope y'all enjoyed!</p><p>Social Media: @stansnyderswife on Twitter</p><p>Kudos for @Liyomomo on Twitter for editing this!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>